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The Value of a Church Easter Egg Hunt

3/31/2018

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The Pony Ride

The Train Ride

VBS Registration

This afternoon was Broadway Baptist Church's Easter Egg Hunt! This is an annual event the children's ministry hosts - tons of Easter Eggs, train rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, VBS registration, face painting, sand bracelets, and a photo booth! Here's four reasons churches should hold Easter Egg Hunts:

1). It serves as an invitation to Easter. Children and parents come to the church parking lot on Saturday and receive an invitation to Easter worship on Sunday.

2). It's a reminder for parents to "Save the Date" for summer VBS. Plan your summer beach trip around VBS. We're 79 days away from the most-exciting week of the summer - children in the community need to pre-register - you can sign-up here.

3). Easter Egg Hunts connect churches with their communities. The Gospel is for the neighborhood and the nations. Lexington needs Jesus and the first step for many unchurched people is to attend a community event - if they feel welcome at an Egg Hunt, they'll be more inclined to visit a worship service.

4). An Easter Egg Hunt allows all ages of church members to serve. From filling eggs to passing out prizes - teenagers, parents, and senior adults can be involved.

Sunday April 21, 2019 is Easter - make plans next year for your church's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 20 - a ministry event with great value!

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Preparing for Fall Festival 2017

9/30/2017

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Broadway Baptist Church in Lexington has planned an exciting Fall Festival on Sunday October 29 from 5-8 p.m. Here's what to expect and how you can help:

1). We'll have 50+ trunks to children to Trick or Treat from. We need your trunk. If you'd like to bring yours, here's what to expect:

You'll need to bring candy for 1,000 children.
You'll need to arrive by 4:30 p.m. to set-up.
You'll need to bring a chair - otherwise you'll be standing for 3 hours passing out candy non-stop.
You'll want to decorate your trunk and wear a costume.
We'll provide you with refill candy if you run out.
Ready to bring your trunk? Sign-up your trunk online here.

2). We have 3 rides from Air-Time Inflatables. The Mechanical Bull, Jacobs Ladder, and a 24-foot Rock Climbing Wall. All of these are free, but expect long lines.

3). The Bradford BBQ Food Truck is coming - a sandwich, chips and a drink are $10.

4). We'll have a photo booth - pumpkins, hay, a Fall Festival atmosphere.

5). Be prepared to park in the Commonwealth Urology parking lot. We'll have a police officer helping you cross Pasadena Drive.

Save the date - bring your children and grandchildren - #BroadwayKids 2017 Fall Festival!

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VBS: Before & After

6/30/2017

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Esther Ausbun about to throw a pie!

Maker Fun Factory VBS

'VBS at Broadway Baptist Church was earlier this month - record attendance and a record offering! VBS is one of the best experiences during the summer to share the Gospel with children. There are several "keys" to a successful week of ministering to children during a week-long VBS.

1). Begin praying for the leaders, children and how the Gospel will be presented. VBS is all about God - pointing children to Christ - this requires devote prayer.

2). Develop an outreach and promotion plan. How will the community discover VBS? Signage, internet ads, fliers, visits...Your promotion (and prayer) determines your attendance.

3). Provide multiple opportunities for children to respond to the Gospel. During the Bible study time, opening/closing assembly, family celebration - if a child has questions or wants to make a decision to follow Christ - they need to know what to do or who to talk to. Make it a priority to train and equip those communicating Christ. Is the pastor, children's minister, or a decision counselor available to speak with them?

The best resource available for how to lead a child to faith in Christ is a book by Art Murphy called, T he Faith of a Child: A Step-by-Step Guide to Salvation for your Child. I wish every parent and children's ministry worker could read this.

4). After VBS is when follow-up begins. Churches spend thousands and thousands of dollars on VBS and believe it's over. In network marketing, there's a slogan, "The gold's in the follow-up." There's no better person inviting a family to church than the VBS rotation leader. Bring them cookies, let them know you appreciate their attendance, build a bridge to other ministries in the church.

With prayer, promotion, Gospel communication, and follow-up - these "keys" will provide a successful VBS!

Related Posts:
Three Ways to Invite People to Church Without Saying a Word
Five VBS Takeaways

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Five Facts For Fun Factory

5/24/2017

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VBS 2017 at Broadway Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky is almost here! Here are five facts you need to know to prepare for THE most-exciting week of the summer! Monday June 19 to Friday June 23 from 6-9 p.m. 2 years old to completed 5th grade. Drop-off and pick-up will be at entrance "A."

1). VBS is completely free. The only optional expense are t-shirts for leaders. Every leader will receive a VBS t-shirt and they cost Broadway $6 each. If you need a leader t-shirt, email our VBS director, Nancy Crawford at: nancy.crawford505@gmail.com. Leaders need to wear their t-shirts and name badges each night. If you're interested in serving at VBS, email Nancy.

2). Dinner is served every evening to children and leaders. The menu will be posted on the church's Facebook page before VBS begins. We also have themes for children and leaders each day:

Mismatch Monday
Team Day Tuesday (Roll Tide!)
Wacky Socks Wednesday
B.A.R.F. Day Thursday (Bring A Real Friend)
Orange Day Friday (Aren't You Glad You Came To VBS)

3). We'll have a "Penny War" between the boys and girls. This is a contest to see who will bring the most money for our VBS offering. If the boys win, our children's director, Mrs. Sherry Lyons, will happily receive a pie in her face. If the girls pull off a rare upset and win...Every penny given goes towards the Kentucky Baptist Convention's Sunrise Children's Services. Sunrise is Kentucky's largest non-profit provider of services for children in crisis. We hope to raise over $470, which is our all-time VBS offering record, set last year. We want children to give their offering to help other children. Begin saving your coins!

4). Sunday June 25 at 6 p.m. is VBS Family Celebration! Your children will perform their VBS songs, hear a Gospel presentation from Pastor Daniel Ausbun (meet below from the Panama Canal), everyone will be served hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, popsicles, and jump on inflatables! All family and friends are invited to celebrate an exciting carnival-style Maker Fun Factory week! Everything's free.

5). VBS online pre-registration closes on Friday June 16 at midnight. We close pre-registration three days before VBS to prepare for class sizes. If you miss pre-registration, you can still register in-person on Monday June 19 at 6 p.m. Avoid long-lines and paperwork by pre-registering your child by June 16. Register your child online here. Our goal is over 153 children, which was last year's all-time record.

Parents, our commitment to you is for Broadway Baptist Church to provide a safe environment (every leader has undergone a background check), teach your children about Christ in a fun, engaging setting they will remember for a lifetime. Experience Lexington's Maker Fun Factory! June 19-23 from 6-9 p.m. 2500 Harrodsburg Road 40503

Related Posts:
AWANA - Engaging Children for the Gospel
Five VBS Takeaways

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AWANA - Engaging Children for the Gospel

2/28/2017

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AWANA - which stands for Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed - every week 3.7 million children in 47,000 churches participate in the largest children's ministry throughout the world. This early beginnings of Awana reveal why children enjoy it:

"In 1941, the children's program at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago laid the foundation for the principles of Awana. Lance Latham, North Side's senior pastor, collaborated with the church's youth director, Art Rorheim, to develop weekly clubs that would appeal to churched and nonchurched kids. As a pioneer in children’s ministry, Art created new and innovative ways to reach kids with the gospel and lead them to know, love and serve Jesus Christ. Other churches learned about the success of the program and inquired about its availability. In 1950, Latham and Rorheim founded Awana as a parachurch organization."

From my experience, children attend and enjoy Awana because it's fun. One of the biggest challenges to reaching children is overcoming boringness - gametime, prizes, and weekly themes makes Awana interesting and fun.

If your church is struggling reaching children - Awana creates the excitement and interest children will want to attend. As they memorize Scripture, children earn Awana bucks to purchase items from the store. As they complete their book, they earn badges. Games, Prizes, Badges, Scripture memorization - Awana is the most-child engaging program available to reach for Christ. All four of our children love it!

Related Posts
Why I Love Awana

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Planning for Trunk or Treat

10/15/2016

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315 pieces of candy at Wal-Mart for $20

Trunk or Treat 2016 is two weeks from today! It's Saturday October 29 from 4-6 p.m. on the field next to First Baptist Church, Moreland, Georgia. The address is 2930 S. Highway 29 Moreland, GA 30259 www.fbcmoreland.org - we hire a Coweta County Sheriff's deputy so you can cross the highway safely.

Over 1,000 children attend Trunk or Treat every year. Here are 5 facts to help you plan for Coweta County's largest Trunk or Treat:

1). We need your trunk. It requires over 75 trunks to host Trunk or Treat. We want children to walk away with a ton of candy. This is a community event - anyone can bring their trunk. If you're bringing your trunk, you need to arrive by 3:30 p.m. (at the latest). In the past we used to give children a card to mark off at each trunk, but we're doing away with that this year. It will keep the line moving faster. Everyone who brings their trunk will receive a coupon for the food trucks. If you bring your trunk, your children/grandchildren are allowed to go through the line at 3:45 p.m. If you bring your trunk, you'll want to bring a chair to sit in. If you run out of candy, we'll have folks walking around giving candy refills. The best place to buy candy is BJ's - you can purchase 1,500 pieces for $40.

2). Admission to Trunk or Treat is a can of food. The food will go towards First Baptist Moreland's food ministry. We give away the canned food at our Thanksgiving Outreach on Saturday November 19.

3). Use our hashtag - win a prize! Take a picture at Trunk or Treat and post on Facebook or Instagram - the picture with the most "likes" wins an awesome gift! Last year's gift was an Amazon Fire. Here's the hashtag you must use: #MorelandTrunkOrTreat

4). We have two Food Trucks! CBO's BBQ and Atlanta City Catering! These two premier food trucks will be selling everything from BBQ to dessert. They'll be parked near the fellowship hall - you can eat inside.

5). The Coweta County 4-H Club will be bringing their horses. Rides are $4 - cash only.

Children don't trick-or-treat at homes like they used to - now they attend Trunk or Treat's at churches. Save the date, bring your children, bring your trunk! Saturday October 29 from 4-6 p.m. at First Baptist Moreland.

Related Posts:

Top 10 Things You Need to Know for Trunk or Treat
6 Tips for a Terrific Trunk or Treat

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What to Expect at VBS

5/19/2016

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Mandy Ross & Heather Roberts at the Awana Awards Ceremony!

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a week-long, non-stop, 3-hour best week of the summer. This year at First Baptist Church of Moreland - we host VBS on Sunday June 5 to Thursday June 9 from 6-9 p.m. Family Night is Sunday June 12 at 6 p.m. Every child 3 years old to completed 6th grade needs to attend, even if they can only come one or two nights, it's worth it! We have alot of new people attending VBS this summer, so we wanted to let parents know what to expect.

Here are six things you need to know to prepare for VBS:

1). You need to pre-register online. When you arrive on Sunday June 5 at 6 p.m. you'll have no paperwork to complete if you've already signed-up your child. Our goal is 217 children, which would be an all-time record. 100 children have already pre-registered. Here's the registration website: https://kideventpro.lifeway.com/myChurch/?id=31271

2). You need to buy your child a Submerged VBS yellow t-shirt. They cost $7 with sizes from youth XS to adult 3XL. To order a t-shirt, email our director, Mandy Ross, at: mandy@fbcmoreland.org or Facebook her. If you pre-order your t-shirt in advance, it will have the church's name on the shoulder. T-shirts aren't required, but they do help your child have a better experience.

3). We provide your child with dinner every night - for free!

4). Drop-off at 6 p.m. is at the church's back-door and pick-up at 9 p.m. is at the church's front-door. Our church's security team releases your child. All VBS leaders are required to pass a background check.

5). We have an offering war between the boys and the girls. Children will have their change sucked from their hand into an offering machine. Monday night is pennies, Tuesday night is nickels, Wednesday night is dimes, and Thursday night is quarters. If the boys win, they get to pie VBS director Mandy Ross on Thursday night. If the girls win, they get to pie pastor Daniel Ausbun on Thursday evening. Our offering goal is $1,000 and every penny goes towards the Georgia Baptist Children's Home in Palmetto.

6). Family night is Sunday June 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. Your child will perform the VBS theme music they've learned all week - afterwards is an Ice Cream Sundae party in the fellowship hall. They should wear their t-shirt. Arrive early to get a seat.

Related Posts:

Five VBS Takeaways
3 Reasons to Consider Club VBS this Summer

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Top 10 Things You Need to Know for Trunk or Treat

10/23/2015

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First Baptist Church of Moreland's 2015 Trunk or Treat is scheduled for Saturday October 31 from 4-6 p.m. We used to always hold it on Friday evenings, but we moved it to Saturday afternoon to accommodate everyone's work schedule. Here are 10 things you need to know:

1). "Admission" to Trunk or Treat is a can of food for our food pantry. We collect hundreds of cans to help our community. On November 21, we provide over 100 Thanksgiving Dinners with the food you donate!

2). We're catering 3 Pigs BBQ by Tony Brown this year! Newnan's best BBQ will be served in the fellowship hall. Sandwiches are $3, Hot Dogs are $2, Plates are $5 which includes a BBQ Sandwich, chips and a drink or 2 Hot Dogs, chips and a drink. Proceeds go towards First Baptist Moreland and Bethlehem Baptist Church. Funnel Cakes are $5 and Turbo Tubs are $2.

3). Coweta County's 4-H will be bringing horses! Rides are $5

4). The best way you can help is to bring your trunk. The "wow" factor of Trunk or Treat is having 75+ trunks. If you're bringing your trunk, you need to be there by 3:30 p.m. and bring 2,000 pieces of candy. You can buy 1,000 pieces of candy at Moreland Surplus & Sales for $30.

5). If you run out of candy, we have people walking around giving refills. Do not close your trunk or drive away.

6). Bring a lawn chair and a sharpie. When you arrive, you'll receive a trunk number, children will hand you a piece a paper and you'll mark your number off. This prevents children from making multiple laps.

7). You can win an Amazon Fire. Take a picture of your trunk and use hashtag #TrunkOrTreat2015 and upload it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and the most people who "like" or "favorite" your picture by 9 p.m. - wins! This lets everyone vote on the best decorated trunk.

8). Walk clockwise. It's challenging for the trunks when children are coming from both directions asking for candy.

9). Park on Main Street or at Moreland Elementary School. We'll have a Coweta County Sheriff's Deputy to help you cross the highway.

10). Wear a costume. Trunk or Treat is a fun, safe environment to Trick-or-Treat. I heard on the radio that Donald Trump's toupee is the #1 men's costume this year!

Related Posts:
6 Tips for a Terrific Trunk or Treat

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Your Church's Easter Egg Hunt is an Outreach

3/31/2015

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First Baptist Moreland's Easter Egg Hunt banner

This Sunday is Easter. Many churches are planning Easter Egg Hunts on Saturday and Sunday for children. Our annual Easter Egg Hunt is usually well attended with many unchurched children filling their baskets with candy.

Here are three ways we "connect" children attending the Easter Egg Hunt to other ministries:

1). We give every child a VBS postcard and hold VBS pre-registration. Our VBS is 8 weeks after Easter - we want children and parents walking away with a knowledge of the children's ministry's next big event - VBS. I've discovered children and parents are more open to an invite to a church's VBS than any other event - even Easter Sunday.

2). Along with the VBS postcard, we give a flier to children and parents about Easter Sunday service times. We have more guests at Easter than any other Sunday - many of those guests received an invite the day before at the Egg Hunt.

3). We invite children to Awana. If a child visits our mid-week children's ministry program, Awana, they'll likely have fun and return. Awana is First Baptist Moreland's only non-Southern Baptist ministry program - but it's biblical, mission-centered and enjoyable.

What we DON'T do at the Easter Egg Hunt:

1). Serve food. We used to give away pizza, but it took too long - parents and children come for Easter eggs and candy and then want to go home. Our egg hunt last less than one hour.

2). Collect information. I've discovered unchurched people resent giving a church their contact info at community events such as an Egg Hunt. They're much more receptive to completing a guest card in a worship service - they expect it.

3). Preach a sermon. Before the children hunt for eggs, we ask all the children to sit down in the fellowship hall and tell the story of the Resurrection Eggs (below). It's a great tool that uses Easter eggs to share the Gospel.

Resurrection Eggs

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Why I Love Awana

1/21/2015

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T&T Popcorn with the Pastor

The Sparks and their popcorn

Tonight was "Popcorn with the Pastor" in Awana. Once a year, I join Awana and answer (or try to) every question asked. Awana is a mid-week children's ministry program that focuses on three areas: Bible Study, Scripture Learning & Recreation. The children rotate between stations - along with an opening and closing ceremony.

Awana began in 1941 in Chicago, Illinois as an independent Baptist ministry using innovation to share the Gospel with children.

If your church is considering Awana - you need three things for a Wednesday evening Awana club:

1). You need an hour and a half - most church programs are written for an hour - but Awana is designed for 90 to 120 minutes. At First Baptist Moreland, Awana meets on Wednesdays from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. from August to May.

2). You need plenty of leaders. We have between 40-50 clubbers (through 5th grade) and have 15-20 leaders. Awana is built on consistency - children need to see the same leaders every week.

3). You need an organizational leadership team. Awana involves collecting dues, collecting an offering, tracking attendance, recording clubber book progress, listening to Scripture, awarding badges - we're fortunate to have an outstanding commander (Wendy Moore) and incredible secretary (Beth Johnson) that hold Awana together. It's better to not do something, rather than do a sloppy job.

Even though it's not a Southern Baptist program - consider Awana for your mid-week children's ministry. Awana has children memorizing Scripture, learning Bible stories and having fun.

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Five VBS Takeaways

6/11/2014

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First Baptist Moreland's VBS Leadership Team!

Last week we concluded our Agency D3 VBS. Over 250 children and over 100 leaders participated in the most exciting week of the year. We budget and plan more for VBS than any other event of the year. VBS has also grown into one of our biggest outreaches to children and parents in the community. Most children who attend our VBS do not attend FBCM. My first VBS at FBCM (in 2005) we were so excited - 56 children attended one evening (an all-time record)! I remember the excitement of many of our older church members - excited to see young faces flood the building.

Here are five takeaways I've learned from 10 VBS' at FBCM:

1). Your pastor must be involved. I walk around and encourage leaders, pass out Air Heads to children, and take pictures. If your pastor doesn't attend, his absence is saying, "I've got more important things."

2). Your leadership team must be top-notch. John Maxwell says, "Everything rises or falls on leadership." FBCM is blessed to have Wendy Moore as our VBS director. Wendy also serves as the Western Baptist Association's VBS director and every January travels to LifeWay in Nashville for National VBS Training. She begins planning our VBS in November. She has surrounded herself with the best two assistants (Beth Johnson and Cortney Rogers) whom are good enough to easily direct any VBS in our area. These three ladies are prepared and excited every night of VBS and it shows.

3). Prayer cannot be overlooked. The Saturday before VBS we hold a prayerwalk through every room - praying for the teachers and children to respond to the Gospel. Every night we met at 5 p.m. to pray for that evening. God answers prayer and your VBS should be dependent upon Him.

4). Promotion begins two months before. We began promoting VBS at our Easter Egg Hunt on April 19. We registered children who came for candy - and they came back for VBS 6 weeks later. We also bought Facebook ads, mailed postcards and included a VBS postcard when we visited every home in our zip code for FBCM's 185th birthday celebration. Lack of promotion is a lack of planning.

5). Hold a VBS family night. The Sunday evening after VBS is when the children and their parents come to the church's sanctuary and perform their music routines. Our praise band plays worship songs, we had a drawing for a new bicycle, awarded "best picture" of VBS (a young lady won a Bible), and had an ice cream sundae party afterwards. This is a positive, high-energy event that ends VBS on a positive note. We also celebrate the 32 children who got saved during VBS.

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Defiance, Disobedience (from Sherri)

2/5/2014

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Our defiant 1 year-old son throwing a tantrum because we took a snowball away.

As a parent, God constantly uses my children to show me my own imperfections. It amazes me how sin can reside in such young children through defiance and disobedience. Why do children choose to disobey and back-talk when they clearly have consequences waiting for them? God gently chides me and reminds me that I also back-talk and show defiance through disobedience. I logically know that God's will is best, yet I resist. Why? As Christians I think we are called "God's children" for a reason. Children need guidance, assistance, reprimanding, but also love and support. What a wonderful Father I have in heaven that wants to "lead me on the path of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3 I pray that instead of listening after the third time of instructions I will act on immediate obedience. I often tell my children that slow obedience is no obedience. God wants us to be like Abraham and act immediately on His instructions, not delay His will for our lives. How often do we miss being God's servants because of slow action or inaction.

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6 Tips for a Terrific Trunk or Treat

10/9/2013

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Later this month (Friday October 25) First Baptist Moreland hosts Trunk or Treat. We began this in 2005 and it's grown into our largest event of the year. Over 1,000+ children will come Trick or Treating from the trunks of cars and trucks. It's a fun and safe environment for children to experience Halloween.

If you or your church is planning a Trunk or Treat - here are 6 terrific tips to have the best experience:

1. The number of trunks is most important. FBC Moreland has 75+ trunks - we want children leaving saying, "Wow, look at all the candy!" The number of trunks is the measurement most parents will use to determine if the event was successful.

2. Promote Jesus and other ministries at the church. Have trunks passing out Gospel tracts and fliers for other ministries (along with candy). One year we had a lady passing out toothbrushes along with candy!

3. Don't allow the children to grab the candy. You need to place the candy in children's bags, otherwise little hands will see how much candy they can grab. After 30 minutes, you'll need a refill.

4. Have people refilling trunks that are running low on candy. If your trunk runs out of candy, don't close your trunk and drive away. FBC Moreland buys $300+ worth of candy and asks for candy donations to refill the trunks that are out.

5. Children should carry a card around getting checked off after every trunk they visit. A few years ago - we had children making laps like it was the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Every trunk is numbered, when children arrive they receive a numbered card, once a child receives candy at trunk #1 - they receive a check on their card.

6. Bring a chair. If you're hosting a trunk, you'll be standing up for 2 straight hours.

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3 Reasons to Consider Club VBS this Summer

2/7/2013

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Is your church now making plans for Summer Vacation Bible School? VBS is an exciting, evangelistic outreach for elementary aged children. First Baptist Moreland is doing something we've never done before - shifting from LifeWay's main VBS theme to their smaller Club VBS. Here are 3 reasons for you to consider making the move:

1). Club VBS is less expensive. VBS costs thousands of dollars. Club VBS offers less literature, decorations, and accessories for their theme - your church will spend less with Club VBS.

2). Club VBS is more versatile. Last summer our student ministry rented a trailer in a local mobile home park and hosted a VBS. Club VBS is perfect for a non-traditional, non-church-based VBS setting. A trailer, an apartment complex pavilion, your home, or a one-day VBS - LifeWay has designed Club VBS to fit any format.

3). Club VBS is different than every other SBC church. Last year I had a young man tell me he attended 3 Amazing Wonders Aviation's. While everyone else is attending Colossal Coaster World, the children who come to your church will be at Jungle Jaunt.

Here are 5 important secrets to a successful VBS:

1). Promotion will determine your attendance. This year we're buying Facebook ads to promote Club VBS.

2). Organization will determine the worker's attitudes. Plans and back-up plans should be made months in advance.

3). The real reason children want to come - to have fun. Boring people should be banned from VBS.

4). Present the Gospel every night. Club VBS presents the Gospel on the 4th night with an opportunity to respond. Good teachers present the Gospel in their classrooms every night.

5). Follow-up can easily be forgotten. The best follow-up is from the teachers who taught that child. If you commit to teach a class, you should also be committed to follow-up.

Here's LifeWay's chart to help you pick the right VBS.

Related Posts:

5 Secrets to a Successful Preteen Ministry
Which Children's Bible Should You Buy
4 Ways to Run a Low or No Budget Ministry

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5 Secrets to a Successful Preteen Ministry

11/28/2012

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Does your church have a Preteen Ministry? Preteens are 11 and 12 year olds - 5th & 6th graders. Some people call them Tweens - too old for elementary ministry, but a little young for the youth group. This is one of the most important ages in a child's spiritual growth - a church can't clump them with younger children or teenagers.

Here are 5 Secrets to a Successful Preteen Ministry:

1.) You must involve their parents. A 12 year old will want you to believe they're in high school - but they're in 6th grade. A teacher/minister must communicate with mom & dad what's going on. For example, a monthly newsletter, Facebook group for preteen parents, a Googlegroup for preteen parents, or a bulk text message lets mom and dad know what's going on, how they can be involved and events coming up for their child to attend. You cannot rely on the preteens to tell their parents what's happening.

2.) Allow preteens the opportunity to lead. Let them own the ministry - create a cool name (Infusion, Switch, Becoming), they should say the prayers, decorate the room, read the Scripture, give a testimony, lead worship, start the video, plan mission projects, set-up and take-down, clean-up).

3.) Programming should be cutting edge. Every 6th grader I know is on Facebook, Twitter, and carries an iPhone. They don't want to be read a children's picture Bible. Make sure the curriculum/lesson is geared towards 11 & 12 year olds and is up-to-date.

4.) Preteen ministry must be active, fast-paced. If you have 1 hour on Wednesday nights to plan for Preteens, here's a good schedule: Welcome/Hang-out (5 minutes), Game (10 minutes), Testimony/Ministry opportunity at school (5 minutes), Video clip about the lesson (5 minutes), Lesson (25 minutes), Prayer requests (5 minutes), Junk food (5 minutes). You need to come to class over-prepared with multiple changes throughout the hour.

5.) Plan outings and mission projects exclusively for preteens. Do not allow other ages to attend, especially younger children. For example, preteens can have a separate VBS class, drama team, mission projects, Preteen Sunday (a special Sunday when the entire service is devoted to them), Preteen Conference, and the Annual Preteen Kickball Tournament (the most favorite game of all 5th & 6th graders).

Preteen Resources:

LifeWay Preteens
PreteenMinistry.net
Preteen Lauchables
Which Bible Should You Buy your Preteen or Teenager?

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<<Previous

The Value of a Church Easter Egg Hunt

Preparing for Fall Festival 2017

VBS: Before & After

Five Facts For Fun Factory

AWANA - Engaging Children for the Gospel

Planning for Trunk or Treat

What to Expect at VBS

Top 10 Things You Need to Know for Trunk or Treat

Your Church's Easter Egg Hunt is an Outreach

Why I Love Awana

Five VBS Takeaways

Defiance, Disobedience (from Sherri)

6 Tips for a Terrific Trunk or Treat

3 Reasons to Consider Club VBS this Summer

5 Secrets to a Successful Preteen Ministry

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